


Mindgames

by leen_go (cagedchaos)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, office!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-13
Updated: 2012-11-15
Packaged: 2018-10-25 09:35:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10761543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cagedchaos/pseuds/leen_go
Summary: Following an attack on Zhang Yixing's life, Kris is assigned to be his guardian, and ends up being a pawn in the corporate political battle between Zhang Yixing and Lu Han. But people are never what the seem, and Yixing gets way more than he bargained for when it comes to Kris Wu.





	1. Chapter 1

Zhang Yixing did not need a personal bodyguard, despite the crutches he was still using from the accident. Yes, he conceded that being the heir to the Zhang family business effectively put him in danger of attacks from enemies, and yes, officials had determined that Yixing’s accident was indeed an intentional action, but this hardly warranted a human twenty-four hour watchdog at Yixing’s door.

“I’m not a child, Father,” Yixing objected, as he stood across the office table from his father, the head of the family, hands held respectfully behind his back. “And even if I was, Huang Zitao is certainly sufficient for this job.” The Huang family had been in service to the Zhang’s for centuries, and this generation’s most well-trained was a dark-haired young man, barely into his twenties, and while Yixing didn’t like that the stoic male was younger than himself, he respected his abilities. “He is sworn to protect this family. This Kris character is not a Huang, so how can we be sure we can trust him?”

Yixing’s father didn’t bother looking up from his work, “Huang Zitao himself trained Kris Wu five years ago. He has performed admirably and comes highly recommended.” He paused to turn a page in the folder he was reading from, “It will serve you well not to question my decisions, boy. Now, don’t you have somewhere to be?”

Yixing ground his teeth together at the condescending dismissal, but bowed deeply before retrieving his crutches from one of his father’s ‘assistants’ who had been standing to the side of the room during the exchange between father and son. He tried his best not to look annoyed as he limped towards the elevator door. Yixing knew he should have expected attempts at his life, given his position combined with rumours about his father’s declining health, but it didn’t mean he planned on living his life in fear.

Yixing stepped into his father’s personal elevator and waited for it to close completely before he let out an exasperated sigh. Sure, he was allowed to contribute to decisions about the company, but his father trusted Yixing to important tasks less than he trusted an outsider, Lu Han, who shared the workspace just one floor below his father’s office. Yixing truly believed that Lu Han’s life motto was something along the lines of “want and take everything Yixing has, including all of the Zhang empire.”

When the elevator dinged, the doors opened to vacant cubicles; it was past six in the evening and most of his employees had already gone home. The only people remaining were his assistant (who was diligently seated at the table outside of Yixing’s office) and Lu Han (who had just left Yixing’s office with a barely concealed grin on his face).

“Why were you in my office, Lu Han?” Yixing asked loudly across the empty floor at Lu Han, making him stop in his tracks and change his trajectory and head towards Yixing.

Lu Han smiled uncharacteristically wide, “I was just showing that gentleman to your room. He says he has important business with you.” Lu Han used the plastic file folder in his hand to gesture towards the tall silhouette standing in Yixing’s office.

Yixing smiled back, just as politely, “Then I should thank you, shouldn’t I?”

Yixing watched as Lu Han looked down at Yixing’s healing injury, ignoring the question, “Your leg is certainly coming along well, Mr. Zhang Yixing. You should be more careful when crossing the street. Wouldn’t want the Zhang family to lose their only son, would we?” Lu Han put a hand on Yixing’s shoulder before heading towards his own office on the other side of the floor with a hollow laugh, and for a moment Yixing wondered if Lu Han was the one who orchestrated the attack, it would certainly match his ambition to run the business. Yixing shook his head as he made his way towards his office; Lu Han would never make such a bold move that, if failed, could invalidate all his hard work over the years.

“You must be Mr. Zhang Yixing,” the towering blond said as soon as Yixing stepped through the doorway. “I am Kris Wu. I have been assigned by your father to ensure your safety.”

Yixing waited until he was seated in his chair before he gave an answer, “Right, well let’s just get one things straight right now. My father may be the one to sign your paycheck, but you are loyal to me. You are not to report to my father unless you have my authorization, are we clear?” Kris didn’t say anything as he stood with his arms at his side so Yixing repeated himself, “ _Are we clear?_ ”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good, because I have the perfect assignment for you.”

Visible stress was written all over Kris’ facial features, “My assignment was to-”

Yixing cut him off before he could finish his sentence, “What did I just say about loyalties, Kris?” Yixing took the following silence to be Kris’ affirmation of his fidelity. “I need you to keep an eye on Lu Han. He’s the man who just showed you to my office. He works closely with my father and I need to know of any plots he has against me.” Yixing recalled the way Lu Han had barely contained his excitement when he had exited his office, “He already has an interest in you, so it’ll probably be easy to get on his good side.”

“Aren’t you concerned that he may actually turn me?” Kris asked, a thick eyebrow raised in mockery.

Yixing smirked, “I’m smarter than I look, Kris, despite my current physical challenges. If you try to pull anything, I’ll know.”

The corners of Kris’ mouth twitched, “Some would call that a challenge.”

Yixing crossed his arms across his chest and looked up at Kris coolly, “Is that something you’re willing to bet your life on?”

Kris cleared his throat, his expression returning to one of indifference, “So you want me to spy on Lu Han for you. How do I do that when I am supposed to be looking after you?”

Yixing scowled; he didn’t like that way that Kris had said ‘looking after’ him because it made it seem like Kris was his babysitter. “I’m sure you can find a way. And if not, I can always ask my father for someone more capable.”

Yixing watched with an internal grin as Kris’ Adam’s Apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed. While Yixing was mostly against his father’s manner of ‘dealing with unqualified people’, he certainly had no qualms about referencing the potential.

“It’ll be no problem, sir.”

…

“Here’s your Americano, sir,” Kris greeted Yixing first thing in the morning. Kris’ role in Yixing’s life had developed into more a personal assistant than a bodyguard.

“Good. Anything on Lu Han today?” Yixing asked, taking his morning coffee from Kris’ hand as he walked down the steps of his condo building towards his chauffeured car without his crutches; his leg had finally completely healed and he only walked with a minor limp.

“Nothing major, though I believe he is planning on taking credit for the Johnson contract.” Kris jogged down the steps ahead of Yixing to open the car door.

“Of course he is,” Yixing thought out loud, eliciting a slight curve upwards of the lips on Kris’ face that Yixing noted to be his first since the two met. He found the effect nice and wondered why Kris didn’t do it more often. “Find out what time he plans on meeting with the board of directors and get me an audience with them beforehand.”

“Already done, sir,” Kris answered swiftly, closing the door behind Yixing and climbing into the front passenger seat himself. Yixing could see why Kris had been chosen by Huang Zitao to be responsible for his life; Kris was good at everything he did, and he had proven himself more than capable to Yixing when he never failed to do as Yixing requested, or as justified this morning, before Yixing had even put out the request. He was beginning to wonder if he even needed the secretary who worked behind a desk in front of his office anymore.

…

While the most well recognized business that the Zhang’s conducted was legal and in the physical form of a multi-storey glass building, Yixing knew there was just as much activity below ground as there was above it. He also knew that most of his father’s unorthodox business endeavours took place at night, which was why he wasn’t particularly excited about looking up his father to sign off on a project budget that had to go out first thing the next morning. He’d stayed back at the office to triple check the numbers until midnight which added to the irritability of the following task.

Yixing had always hated the bar that his father frequented, even as a child when he understood little about the inner workings of the corporation. That bar was a constant reminder that Yixing was a mistake, that he couldn’t remember who his mother was because she had left when Yixing was a baby after having had enough of her husband’s philandering.

“Car’s ready downstairs, Mr. Zhang,” Kris announced as he walked into the office, picking picked up the suit jacket that hung from a coat-rack and holding it out for Yixing to slip into.

Yixing sighed, “Good.” He stepped into his jacket, and, pulling it straight, he picked up the required folder and a pen. “Might as well get this over with,” he muttered to himself

“Beg pardon?” Kris asked, and Yixing had to remind himself that Kris was too observant sometimes.

“Nothing. Let’s go.”

…

Yixing had to remind himself how to breathe when he stepped out of the car in front of the bar. He took careful steps towards the back where the private VIP rooms were housed and gave himself a moment to mentally prepare himself for whatever it could be that lay behind those doors.

“Sir?” Kris prompted, standing to his side just a step behind.

Yixing clenched his jaw once before opening the door that had been guarded with two of Huang Zitao’s men. He should have been ready for what he saw, but he wasn’t. His father was seated in the centre of the curved cushioned bench with his arm swung around a girl most likely half his age as Huang Zitao hovered nearby with a hold on a man on his knees, left eye swollen shut. The man’s shirt was wet, and Yixing didn’t dare look closer to determine whether it was due to sweat or blood. So instead, his eyes fell upon a young girl in a tube top and a short skirt, passed out on the ground in the opposite side of the room. He tried to ignore the man who was kneeled down beside her with a syringe filled with a clear liquid posed to inject into her neck by staring straight at his father. He held out the folder in his hands and clicked the pen he pulled from his pocket once, “I need you to sign off on these numbers,” he said flatly without letting his eyes wander to the other disturbing subjects in the room.

His father took a brief moment to glance over the pages before scribbling his name at the bottom of the last page, not bothering to utter even a single word before handing the folder back to Yixing, who bowed and left the room as quickly as he had entered it. Rather than manoeuvring carefully around the other patrons in the bar as he had done in his entrance, Yixing made a beeline for the exit, not caring whether Kris could keep up behind him or how many shoulders he bumped into. When he finally arrived back at the car, he held out a hand to the side of it to steady himself and took several deep breaths to help the sick feeling in his stomach go away. He didn’t wait for Kris before sliding into his seat and telling the driver to head back to the office.

…

By the time Kris knocked on Yixing’s glass office door to announce his presence, Yixing was well into his third drink, the amber liquid glinting in its crystal glass despite the poor lighting of the room. Yixing wasn’t usually a drinker, but business required that his office have a variety of drinks for his clients (or sometimes, his father) to choose from.

“Sir?”

Yixing was seated in his couch and he patted the spot next to him before getting up and heading towards the mahogany desk that was home to several differently sized glass decanters, “What will you have?” he asked, words already slightly slurred as he picked up a clean glass.

“No thanks,” Kris replied calmly, keeping his arms at his side as he stood in front of the door with his hands behind his back, rejecting Yixing’s invitation to sit down.

Yixing refilled his own glass and filled the new one anyway, wandering back to his seat on the couch. “It wasn’t optional, Kris. _Sit_.”

Yixing could see the contemplation going on in Kris’ head, his jaw clenching repeatedly before giving in and sitting down next to Yixing, back completely straight and his hands resting neatly on his knees.

Yixing rolled his eyes, “God, would it kill you to relax a bit? You don’t have to be Mr. Perfect all the time.” He had to practically peel Kris’ hand from his knee and wrap each individual finger around the glass. “ _Drink_. You’re making me look like an alcoholic here.” Yixing turned back to pick up his drink from the black table beside the couch.

“Are you alright, sir?” Kris asked at last, hand holding the glass steady, but still not anywhere near his mouth.

“I’m _fine_ , Kris. Very kind of you to ask,” Yixing replied, playing with the arm of the couch. Kris didn’t say anything for a moment, leaving a silence to hang between them before Yixing continued to ramble to himself. “I mean, it’s not like I don’t _know_ about everything that happens behind the scenes. That guy getting beat up most likely deserved it. Probably a rat who’s been giving information to the police or something. And that girl? Okay, she probably didn’t deserve it, but it’s not like it’s anything new to get girls to get hooked onto drugs so they have to sell themselves to keep getting their hits. Yeah, nothing new…” Yixing trailed off, downing his entire glass in one gulp and making a face as the liquid burned his throat.

“Why does it bother you, then?” Kris asked, still stiff as ever. “You already know all this, and one day you’ll do the same.” Yixing detected a hint of bitterness in his voice.

Yxing turned to glare at Kris, “Just because I know about it, doesn’t mean I have to like it. I have no plans on following in my father’s footsteps if, and when, it is my turn to lead this organization.”

For the first time since Yixing met him, Kris seemed mildly disturbed, “Why don’t you do something about it?”

Yixing laughed but he knew that the emotion didn’t touch his eyes, “Do what, Kris? Call the cops on him? Turn in proof of his misconduct to the police? I know my father, Kris, as I’m sure you do. He’d find a way around it. Maybe things would fall silent for a month, maybe two, but after that, everything would be back to normal. It isn’t that I don’t want to do something, it’s that I _can’t._ I have no power, Kris, at least not yet.”

Yixing watched as Kris’ back started to curve from its perfect posture as he absorbed the information, finally bringing the glass to his mouth to drink as he started to lean backwards into the back of the seat. Yixing knew from the moment Kris had introduced himself that he was handsome, but as he watched Kris’ eyelashes as he blinked slowly, he was beginning to really notice just how good-looking Kris was, with his near-perfect features and dark eyebrows that seemed to convey more emotion than the rest of his face. Yixing swallowed before putting down his glass again, “Forget about getting close to Lu Han, Kris.”

Kris looked up at his boss, “What?” he asked, his shock betraying the professionalism he always carried in his words.

“Forget about Lu Han and stick by my side.”

“Why?” Yixing watched as those fierce eyebrows drew closer together in confusion, “I thought you wanted someone on the inside with Lu Han so you know what he’s up to.”

Yixing shook his head lightly, “I need someone I can trust with me at all times. I don’t want to risk losing my best employee to someone like Lu Han.”

Yixing watched as Kris contemplated Yixing’s comment, staring at his drink a moment before downing it all at once, “Yes sir.”

…

The next day, Yixing woke in his office with a headache and a ridiculously parched throat. He made his way to his desk and opened a drawer to grab the bottle of non-prescription painkillers, pouring out a couple of tablets and swallowing them without water. With a groan, he sat down in the chair and put two fingers to each temple.

“How are you feeling, Mr. Zhang?” The door swung open to let in Kris, dressed in another of his crisp black suits.

“Shhh,” Yixing whispered, still massaging the sides of his head, “Can you go to my closet and grab the extra suit in there?” He hadn’t gone home last night and with a meeting in ten minutes, he hardly had time to go home to shower and change. “Also, stop calling me Mr. Zhang, just Yixing is fine,” he added, though he was pretty sure the uptight Kris would never oblige.

Kris headed towards the direction Yixing had pointed in and pulled out a hanger, patting down the sleeves of the jacket as he did so before handing it to Yixing.

“Can you get me Susan from accounting on the phone for me?” Yixing asked as he pulled off his tie and started to unbutton his shirt.

“Of course.” Kris dipped his head, averting his eyes before leaving the office and closing the door behind him.

When Yixing had finished changing and Kris still hadn’t phoned in with Susan on the line, a confused crease formed on Yixing’s forehead. “Kris?” he called out loud as he stepped out of his room, still trying to pull his tie into place. “You seen Kris?” he asked the nearest worker.

“Uh, yeah. He slipped into the meeting room at the end of the hall a couple minutes ago.”

Saying a quick ‘thanks’, Yixing hurried his steps in that direction. The door was slightly ajar and Yixing could see the back of Kris’ tall stature. “Where-” Yixing started to ask as he put a hand on the door to push it open, only to reveal that Kris was not alone. He was talking to Lu Han in hushed tones.

 _Just to tie up loose ends, I’m sure._ Yixing reasoned, stepping back and starting to turn back. Only, in the corner of his vision, he saw Kris advance towards Lu Han so that Lu Han had to back up, ending up half-seated on the long table. Kris had his arms crossed in front of him on his chest and his back hunched forwards, a casual position Yixing had never seen Kris take before. Yixing watched as a moment later, Kris leaned down towards Lu Han until the two pairs of lips were touching.

Yixing watched in disbelief as Lu Han’s eyes flew open in surprise, falling on Yixing who was still standing at the doorway, though the tightness in his chest told him to leave immediately. Amusement glazed over in Lu Han’s eyes as he placed his hands on either side of Kris’ face to deepen the kiss and snaked his legs around Kris’, never breaking his eye contact with Yixing.

 _“Aren’t you concerned that he may actually turn me?”_ Kris’ voice rang in Yixing’s head.Swallowing hard, Yixing finally managed to tear his eyes from the scene, pulling the meeting room door closed with a soft click. He didn’t know whether to be angry with himself for being easily impressed with Kris’ professional abilities, or with Kris, for being such a good liar.

Yixing could have sworn he could hear Lu Han’s triumphant laugh ringing out behind him as he walked back to his office.

…

When Kris arrived at Yixing’s office again, it was after Yixing had already returned from his meeting with accounting. Kris was his usual professional self, back perfectly erect, arms at his side as he efficiently completed every tasks that Yixing requested of him.

Yixing maintained his guard around Kris for the next week, purposely dropping hints that would be helpful to Lu Han, like the fact that Baird Development (a business with whom Yixing had been charged with gaining) was planning to withdraw from their agreement with the Zhang’s. What confused Yixing most was that Lu Han acted on none of those developments, so he could only conclude that Lu Han was waiting for something bigger, or that Kris wasn’t reporting back to him. His eyes had already shown him that Kris shouldn’t be trusted, but he still couldn’t help that slight tug at his chest whenever Kris showed up at his office, or when he held the car door open for Yixing. He couldn’t tell if he wanted to trust Kris because he didn’t want one of his own people working with his enemy, or because it had been nice to have someone to talk to. Or maybe it was just because he wanted to have Kris for himself.

…

Huang Zitao stopped by Yixing’s office once every two months just to check up on any security details Yixing might have issue with. It was mostly just procedure and the meetings lasted less than fifteen minutes. Yixing neither liked them nor did he dislike them, but he just found them tedious.

Yixing was cleaning his desk when he spilled his mug of coffee, its contents spilling onto the ground after it inverted itself on the table. Scowling, Yixing righted the mug and hurried to collect any loose sheets from getting wet. He headed to the kitchenette, located next to the copy room, to grab napkins to help soak up the liquid on the tiled floor.

“What are you doing, Wu Fan?” Yixing could hear Huang Zitao was using hushed tones, with a copier in the background that added additional muffling to the conversation, and it was the familiar deep voice that responded that made Yixing stop in his tracks, paper towels still in hand.

“That’s none of your concern, Zitao.”

“You said you only needed a month, Wu Fan. _Why are you still here?_ ”

“Just mind your own damn business for once,” Kris hissed.

“This _is_ my business. Anything to do with the Zhang family is my business.”

Yixing disappeared quickly back to his office before the copy room door opened, getting to work on the spreading puddle beside his desk, questions flying left and right in his head as he mopped up the mess.

“Need a hand with that, Mr. Zhang Yixing?” Huang Zitao appeared behind Yixing.

Yixing didn’t answer immediately as he wiped the last of his morning coffee and tossed the towels into the garbage can, using a pump of the hand sanitizer on his desk to clean his hands. Finally, he turned to Huang Zitao, leaning backwards onto his desk with his arms crossed on his chest, “Who is Kris Wu?”

An eyebrow raised on Huang Zitao’s face, “He’s… the man assigned to protect your life? I’m not sure what answer you’re looking for.”

Yixing shook his head, “No, I mean, who is he _to you_?”

Yixing saw Huang Zitao shift a little, uncomfortably. “He’s an old friend. We hadn’t spoken in years until he interviewed for a position with us.”

“Ah.” Yixing answered simply, nodding to himself.

“Is there anything else you’d like to discuss?” Huang Zitao asked hesitantly

“No, that’s everything for today, thank you,” Yixing dismissed, getting up and walking around his desk to sit down in his chair. When Huang Zitao left the room, Yixing made a call to one of his private investigators to run a background check on ‘Wu Fan’. Hanging up the phone more aggressively than necessary, Yixing sighed heavily as he closed his eyes at the emerging headache.

 “Well, aren’t we in a bad mood, Mr. Zhang Yixing?” Lu Han chirped as he placed a file on Yixing’s desk.

“I’m in a rush, Lu Han,’ Yixing announced automatically, ignoring the comment as he grabbed his jacket, preparing to head out to grab a bite to eat. Kris still hadn’t returned from whatever it was he was doing, which only made Yixing more irritable.

“Oh, and touchy too,” Lu Han continued, amusement clearly colouring his voice.

Yixing sighed loudly as he pulled his collar straight, “What do you want, Lu Han?” He was hardly in the mood to entertain Lu Han.

“Want? Well, that could be a long list.” Lu Han grinned before he continued comfortably, “Of course, some things I’ve already gained. Like Kris.”

Yixing bit his lip to prevent himself from saying something as his memory flickered back to the incident he’d witnessed in the meeting room. He didn’t want to think about Kris kissing Lu Han, and he certainly didn’t want to think about what else had possibly happened when Yixing had looked away.

 “He _is_ yummy, isn’t he?” Lu Han continued, licking his lips mockingly. “But I guess you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” His laugh rang out as he started to leave.

Yixing hated how Lu Han knew all the right buttons to push and he was getting tired of it. Yixing grabbed Lu Han’s arm and pulled him back, pinning him on the closest wall with his forearm pressed against Lu Han’s neck. With both of them equally tall, Yixing found himself staring straight back into Lu Han’s taunting eyes.

“Well, well. Isn’t this an interesting position?” Lu Han said in a promiscuous tone.

“Shut the hell up about Kris,” Yixing growled, “I don’t give a damn what the pair of you do.”

“Don’t you?” Lu Han laughed, “I can see the way you look at him, Zhang Yixing. It’s almost embarrassing to watch.” He raised a steady finger to wipe across his bottom lip, “Want a taste? I just got back from seeing him, if you want.”

Yixing felt his jaw clench tightly as he let go of Lu Han roughly, “I said shut up,” he managed to get out between his teeth. He already knew that his heart was acting against his logic, and he didn’t need it waved in his face, especially not by Lu Han.

“Whatever you say, Zhang Yixing,” Lu Han pulled his shirt straight with a smirk. “Still doesn’t change anything though.”

“Just get out of my office, Lu Han” Yixing muttered as he peeled away his jacket again. He didn’t much feel like eating anymore. 


	2. Chapter 2

As he made his way back to Zhang Yixing’s office, Wu Fan felt a hand on his elbow, pulling him towards the copier room. Just as he was about to defend himself against his attacker when a familiar voice whispered in his ea, “Calm down Wu Fan. It’s just me.”

“You scared the shit out of me, Zitao. What do you want?” Wu Fan asked, noting the copiers printing blank pages. Zitao must’ve turned them on so their conversation could stay between the two of them.

“What are you doing, Wu Fan?”

Wu Fan straightened the sleeves of his jacket and responded in a bored tone, “That’s none of your concern, Zitao.”

“You said you only needed a month, Wu Fan. _Why are you still here?_ ”

“Just mind your own damn business for once,” Wu Fan hissed, already tired of the interrogation.

“This _is_ my business. Anything to do with the Zhang family is my business,” Zitao answered, just as annoyed.

“Right, because of your family’s bond to the Zhang’s,” Wu Fan retorted bitterly, “Just like a dog.”

Zitao grabbed the collar of Wu Fan’s shirt, “Don’t fuck around with me, _Kris_. I’m warning you not to touch the Zhang’s. I’ve repaid my debt to you when I let you on my team, and I swear if you draw a single drop of Zhang blood, I will end you.”

Wu Fan’s gaze hardened as he stared down at the boy he’d rescued when they were younger, “You do your job, and I’ll do mine,” he said vaguely, pushing Zitao hard and away from himself. “I believe you have a meeting with Zhang Yixing. He’s probably waiting for you in his office,” Wu Fan finished, settling back into his role as he left the room. As he scanned the hallway, he saw Yixing with a stack of paper towels in his hand as the other opened the door to his office and hoped fervently that he hadn’t overheard the conversation between Zitao and himself.

“Well, hello stranger. Been looking for you.”

Wu Fan closed his eyes and took a deep breath before turning around to face Lu Han with a smile, “I’m a bit busy right now,” Wu Fan said with his voice carrying a perfect imitation of being upset, “That damn Zhang Yixing has me running errands again.”

Lu Han shrugged as he wrapped his arms around Wu Fan’s waist, “Just tell him you got held up somewhere. I’ve missed you. Let’s go play hooky.”

Wu Fan put on an apologetic look, “You know how much I want to, but I’m already late and he’s going to start getting suspicious.” He leaned forwards and kissed Lu Han once lightly on the lips as he disentangled himself from Lu Han’s arms, “I’ll make it up to you later, okay?”

Lu Han pouted, “You’re lucky you’re cute,” he said, tapping Wu Fan lightly on the nose before walking away.

Wu Fan sighed as he rolled his eyes at Lu Han’s retreating back, controlling the urge to gag at the sweet act. If there was a person he could hate just as much as Zhang Yixing’s father, it was Lu Han. The guy was too good at lying (though Wu Fan could hardly judge him, given his current position), and had too much dark ambition for his own good. Wu Fan imagined that Lu Han would grow up to be _exactly_ like Old Man Zhang and it make him sick to think about it.

The only reason he was here in the first place was to teach the old man a lesson: he couldn’t just have one of his own men executed and expect no ramifications. Just thinking about the night that the supposed best friend of Wu Fan’s father stopped by his home when Wu Fan had been just eleven years old made his insides squirm. Yes, his father should have known better than to get himself mixed up in dirty business, but that didn’t justify the fact that his mother couldn’t handle the grief and committed suicide less than three years later. When he learned that the man responsible for the death of his parents had a son, he had made a decision to make the entitled bastard learn how it felt to lose someone close to them.

So he changed his name, trained enough so he could qualify to be part of the Zhang security detail, worked hard to prove his worth and abilities before commanding a hit on Zhang Yixing. He knew that the heir would be assigned a private detail and he volunteered for the position. It certainly helped that Huang Zitao owed him, but the boy was more observant than Wu Fan had given him credit for, so he promised to get out of Zitao’s hair within the month.

Only, the night that Wu Fan had decided to make his move, Zhang Yixing asked him to accompany him to the bar to get his father to sign off on a project budget, where he learned that killing Zhang Yixing wouldn’t even get a half-grievous blink from the bastard. Still, he had made a commitment and Wu Fan wasn’t one to go back on his word. Except Zhang Yixing had proved to be unpredictable, losing Wu Fan in the bar. When Kris found him back at the office, it would have been easy to dissolve a couple of tablets in Zhang Yixing’s glass (Wu Fan already had them in his pocket that night), but his gut told him he would be making a mistake. This young man was not the same as his father, vowing to change the way things ran when he came into power. Killing him would end the life of the first person Wu Fan had judged to actually be _good_ , despite where he worked. Zhang Yixing had assigned Wu Fan to keep an eye on Lu Han not because he wanted to take his opponent down, but simply so he could defend himself. Zhang Yixing had no interest in continuing the irresponsible legacy that his father would leave behind, and his desire for power was not for himself, but so that he could help others. It was then that Wu Fan realised that killing Zhang Yixing would not bring his own father back, but would instead make Wu Fan just like the men he hated, killing just for his personal needs for revenge.

So instead, he’d let Zhang Yixing drink half a bottle of hard liquor before passing out on his couch, not in the best of shapes, but not dead, and watched the creases forming on his forehead at the invisible nightmares.

When he’d left the office that night, the way Zhang Yixing had said he trusted Kris stuck with him. So much that Wu Fan couldn’t concentrate on his work the next day. He was supposed to tie up the loose ends with Lu Han, but ended up choosing to use him as a distraction from thinking too hard about Zhang Yixing. He had been aware that Zhang Yixing was watching when he had advanced on Lu Han, and while he wanted to brush his teeth with bleach afterwards, Wu Fan decided it was better to be distant from Zhang Yixing than to get closer than he was already getting. Trust was a valuable thing and he didn’t want Zhang Yixing putting his faith in someone who had wanted to kill him.

Wu Fan should have left then with his one month deadline right around the corner, but being around Zhang Yixing made things better, even if it didn’t make sense. He knew that Zhang Yixing was testing him when he dropped mentions of his shortcomings, things he knew that Lu Han would want in his arsenal, but he didn’t relay the information. He wasn’t sticking to Lu Han just for the distraction, he was also continuing the assignment Zhang Yixing had first given him. He knew that Zhang Yixing wouldn’t trust any information that Kris gave about Lu Han any more than he would trust a pig to fly, so he was always careful of his delivery, letting Zhang Yixing know subtly of Lu Han’s tactics: reverse psychology, a vague memo slipped into his folders, a passing comment by one of the other employees.

Wu Fan didn’t want it to, but the way Zhang Yixing had closed up after the incident with Lu Han bothered him. He didn’t like the curt way Zhang Yixing had started to address him and he didn’t like the way he was sent on errands just so Zhang Yixing could have a private call without Kris eavesdropping. And he didn’t like the way Zhang Yixing’s kind eyes hardened when they fell on Kris; it made a painful knot form in his chest that he was beginning to suspect was due to his growing affection towards the respectable man.

…

“Hey, Kris. Take the night off. I’ll get Huang Zitao to assign someone else for tonight.”

Wu Fan stopped in the middle of placing a file folder on Zhang Yixing’s table, “Why?” He asked, even if he already knew it was probably a ploy to get Kris away.

Zhang Yixing shrugged nonchalantly, though Wu Fan knew it was a calculated move, designed to convince Kris of his aloofness, “You’ve worked hard, so I figured it’d be nice to give you a vacation.”

Wu Fan was tempted to say that he didn’t need one, but held his tongue because he knew Zhang Yixing needed the space. “Alright, but you have my number if you need anything,” he recited manually, sure that his phone would not be ringing tonight.

Zhang Yixing smiled and Wu Fan wondered how much he actually meant it, “Of course, Kris. Enjoy your night off.”

Wu Fan took his leave, and hit the ‘down’ button when he reached the elevators, placing his hands into his pockets as he waited.

“The asshole is giving you a night off? I think I know what that means.” Luhan was leaning against the wall beside the elevators with a playful smile on his lips. “Want to grab dinner, and head back to my place? Or grab dinner _at_ my place?”

Wu Fan smiled back, “Dinner sounds good.” Maybe a shallow conversation with Lu Han would help keep his mind off Zhang Yixing.

…

Halfway through dinner at a fancy restaurant at the top floor of the complex, Wu Fan’s cell phone rang with the ringtone he had specifically assigned to Zhang Yixing. While he was grateful for the distraction from Lu Han’s almost one-sided banter, he was concerned about why Zhang Yixing was calling after giving him the night off, because it could only mean that he was in trouble.

“Sorry, I have to take this,” Wu Fan apologized insincerely to Lu Han, before getting up and walking quickly towards the bathroom. “Sir,” he answered into his phone.

“Kris,” Zhang Yixing’s whisper came through the phone with urgency, “I need you to come to my condo. I think I might be in trouble.” That was all he said before a click ended the call.

Wu Fan nearly forgot where he was as he stood frozen in place, still processing the call. When he finally came to again, panic washed over him. Zhang Yixing was in danger and Wu Fan was not there to help him. He dismissed the voice in his head that said it was rude to leave dinner without telling the other party as he hit the button for the elevator multiple times before deciding that taking the stairs would be faster.

His mind barely registered the cold rain that hit his body as he ran to his car, hitting the accelerator as soon as the engine roared to life and weaving between traffic as he hurried towards Zhang Yixing’s home on the opposite site of town.

“Zhang Yixing!” He called through the door as he fumbled with his keys, looking for the spare that his boss had given to him in case of emergency. When the door finally unlocked, Wu Fan practically fell through the threshold from the momentum.

“Well, it’s nice of you to be so concerned.” Zhang Yixing was sitting calmly in an armchair, pages scattered on the coffee table in front of him.

The keys fell from Wu Fan’s grip as he took in the sight of the object of his worry sitting perfectly safe in front of him. “I thought…” Something about the way Zhang Yixing was looking at him left him with an uneasy feeling.

“Did I say I might be in trouble? I guess I should have clarified. I meant to say that _you_ were my trouble, _Wu Fan_.”

Every muscle in Wu Fan’s body tensed, fixating his body to the spot, “How do you know that name?” he asked in a paper-thin voice.

“Why? Was it a secret?” Zhang Yixing stood up from his seat and wandered to his kitchen. Wu Fan didn’t move, his eyes falling instead to a picture of himself as a kid beside another of his family sitting on top of the mess of pages. “What, you _didn’t_ want me to find out who you really were? In that case, you should really be careful of where you hold your personal conversations, because the copy room is such a high traffic area, didn’t you know?” Zhang Yixing opened one of the cupboards and pulled out a mug, “Want some coffee?” he asked, casually.

Wu Fan didn’t reply as Zhang Yixing leaned back on his kitchen countertop, mug in hand. “Sick part was that I _trusted_ Kris. Even after I saw his make-out session with Lu Han, I still wanted to trust him, wanted to believe that despite getting in bed with my enemy, he was still a good person.” He paused to sip his coffee, “But you’re not a good person, are you, Wu Fan?”

Wu Fan swallowed as he understood the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach that had settled when he first saw Zhang Yixing sitting in the chair when he entered the apartment: it was the carefully concealed hurt in Zhang Yixing’s eyes that betrayed the cool mask he was wearing, and the fact that it was because of Wu Fan made him want to cut his own throat.

“So what was the plan? Get close to me so you could gain my father’s trust? And then poison him? Stab him and blame it on one of his many enemies?” Wu Fan heard the crack in Zhang Yixing’s rising voice before he saw the angry tears forming at his eyes. “And what’s your plan now that you’ve been caught? Kill me too? Make it look like a B-and-E?” Zhang Yixing put his mug down on the marble countertop loudly, and pulled out a switch blade from his back pocket and opened it to expose the sharpened blade. “Here, I’ll make it easy for you.” He stomped towards Wu Fan and grabbed his hand, thrusting the handle in his palm and closing the fingers around it.

Wu Fan stared down at the blade in his hand and then at the defiant eyes staring up at him. “I can’t,” he managed to croak out, his first words since the shock of finding out that Zhang Yixing knew who he really was.

Zhang Yixing stepped back and scoffed, “Coward.”

Yes, Wu Fan knew that the word described him to a T.

“I can’t let you kill him, I hope you know.” Zhang Yixing’s voice had returned somewhat back down to normalcy again, but softer. “He might be a terrible father and a terrible person in general but he is still my father. I’ll protect him.”

Wu Fan couldn’t help but laugh quietly to himself. It was just like Zhang Yixing to do something like that. His grip around the handle of the knife tightened as he fought back the lump in his throat as he whispered his last words to Zhang Yixing, “I know.” He crossed the distance to the door in three quick strides and closed the door behind him, waiting for his to click closed before leaning backwards on it. “Goodbye, Zhang Yixing.”

It was time to disappear, and Wu Fan was good at that. He was good at erasing his past and assuming a new identity. He was good at pretending and he was good at lying. The only thing he wasn’t good at was forgetting, and forgetting the way he felt about Zhang Yixing was going to take a lot more than just sheer willpower. 


	3. Epilogue

Zhang Yixing had forcibly erased the night that he cried for a liar from his memory, choosing instead to drown himself in work. Though Yixing had announced that Kris had personal matters to attend to and had resigned, rumours about the true reason for Kris’ disappearances had sprung up, and all rumours have at least an inkling of truth in them. Yixing deflected any questions about Kris and continued to ignore Lu Han, working closely with his father in the days that lead up to the heart attack that left him in a hospital bed, unfit to run the organization any more. Zhang Yixing stepped up to the job, despite the hard battle that Lu Han put up before recognizing a lost case.

It was at least a year later, when Yixing was finally able to go a whole day without thinking about a certain tall blond that he left his office and returned to find his old switchblade sitting on his desk with a note.

“Remember what you said about changing things under the Zhang empire.”

Yixing grabbed the noted, crumpling it angrily in between his hands before tossing it violently into his paper waste basket. For a whole year, Yixing never once bothered looking up Wu Fan, but here _he_ was, leaving Yixing cryptic notes on his desk when he stepped away for a coffee. Rage clouding his vision, he picked up the phone and dialled the number to the same private investigator who had dug up the information about Wu Fan.

“Find him, and bring him to me.”

…

It was a month after Yixing had sent the request to find Wu Fan and there was still nothing. Wu Fan had clearly learned from his mistakes the last time around and was making it impossible to find any useful leads on him.

Yixing went home one night one night, exhausted from his day’s work and in dire need of a shower and sleep.

 “You know, stabbing a knife into your wall hardly makes for good home décor, especially when it’s impaling a wrinkled note.” Yixing snapped his head around at the confident voice that spoke up when he had closed the door to his relatively new condo, having decided to leave his old one to start fresh.  

Yixing glared at the man whose face was still hidden in shadow, “Well, if _someone_ hadn’t sent it, it wouldn’t be stuck as a constant reminder on my wall.” Yixing crossed his arms, “And what should I be calling you this time?”

A chuckled echoed in the minimalist room, “For you? Kris, always Kris.”

“And what about Wu Fan?”

Silence fell for a moment as Kris stepped out to face Yixing properly, “Wu Fan’s… moved on.” He waited a moment as if letting Yixing appreciate the full meaning of the line. “Is there a specific reason why you were looking for me so hard?”

“I… No, I guess not,” Yixing flubbed.

Yixing watched quietly as Kris purposely averted his gaze as he headed towards the front door to leave. “Next time you want to talk to me, just ask.”

Yixing swallowed the wave of emotion that had washed over him from the moment he recognized the familiar voice, reminding him of the annoyance he’d felt when Lu Han had stuck his tongue down Kris’ throat, of the way his heart had pounded disobediently whenever Kris had walked into his office, of the way he’d lose his ability to form coherent thoughts at the idea of Kris actually smiling at him. “So, what, you’re just going to walk out again?” He called out angrily, “You came back just to make sure I was making good on the half-promise I made to a liar?”

Kris paused with his hand poised over the door handle. “You want to know why I came back?”

“Yes.”

Yixing tensed when Kris dropped his hand, turned around and crossed the living room so he was inches from Yixing, staring down at him. “I came back for you, dumbass. I came back not because I wanted to make sure you didn’t go crooked because I already knew you wouldn’t, couldn’t even. I came back because I was selfish and wanted to see your reaction to my note, to see if you ever thought of me as I thought of you on a daily, no _hourly_ basis. I came back because I missed your face. I came back because I missed the way you smiled, even when the odds were stacked up against you, even when Lu Han was being a complete asshole towards you. I came back because despite my best efforts, I missed _you_ , Zhang Yixing. Does that make you feel better? The fact that you turned a resolute man hell bent on revenge to a useless boy who can’t stop thinking about you? The fact that you exacted _your_ revenge on _me_?”

Yixing stared back up at Kris whose face was flushing with passion. “No. But this does.” Yixing leaned up on only his tip toes, and grabbed Kris around the neck so he could pull him down for a kiss. He could feel the surprise from under his fingers, but held his grip around Kris’ neck firm until he felt an affirmative response, moaning softly when Kris wrapped his long arms around his waist to draw him closer, tongue tracing over Yixing’s lips lightly, asking for permission to enter. Yixing’s hands reached into Kris’ perfectly coiffed hair, as Kris pressed against Yixing until his back was against a wall.  
  
"Fuck you, Zhang Yixing," Kris whispered in a ragged voice as his lips found Yixing's neck, "Fuck you for ruining me."  
  



End file.
